The current issue of National Geographic has a feature about Paul Salopek, a journalist who is retracing the steps of the first human migrations around the world. He’s doing it all on foot (and, where necessary, by boat).

Salopek’s journey, called the Out of Eden Walk, started in Ethiopia, where the oldest human remains have been found. As the route below shows, he is traveling North, across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia, and up through Jordan and Lebanon to Turkey. From there, he heads east through central Asia, passing through India and China, and then turns north into Russia. Next he travels by boat to Alaska, following the route taken by humans 12,000 years ago when a land bridge connected Russia and Alaska. Finally, Salopek travels south through the entire length of the Americas, until he reaches the southernmost tip of South America, which is Tierra Del Fuego in Chile. In all, it will be a 7 year journey.

The route being followed by Salopek from Ethiopia to Tierra Del Fuego, Chile (via National Geographic)

Salopek is not just taking a very long walk. Everywhere he goes, he is meeting the people and learning about their life experiences. He is taking pictures, visiting ancient sites, and blogging regularly as he goes along. His latest stop is at the Al Zureb Fortress in Saudi Arabia, and he has blogged about the historical significance of the site and its connection with Lawrence of Arabia.

The Out of Eden Walk is an incredibly ambitious goal, which will take a great deal of perseverance to traverse such a wide variety of climates and cultures. I wish him the best of luck as he follows in the footsteps of our ancient ancestors.

My good friend Ben Lee will soon be embarking on a very ambitious trip: traveling across the United States on a motorcycle, and visiting all 59 national parks in the process. I am proud of him for taking on this difficult goal, which will be a wonderful opportunity for great personal growth. The journey will include crossing the continental United States three times, driving through Canada to reach Alaska, and even flying to Hawaii, all while carrying only the possessions that will fit on a motorcycle.

Below is the wall map he created which shows his anticipated routes between each national park:

Ben Lee’s route across the US to visit all 59 national parks (via 59parks.com)

His travel plan will consist of three legs, which are represented on the map as red, blue, and green.

Following the red route, he begins in Boston, goes North to visit Acadia National Park in Maine, and then travels generally West across the central part of the country. After driving South through California, he flies to Hawaii, and then returns to Southern California for the blue leg. This route takes him throughout the Southwest, then down into Texas, East across the Southern United States into Florida, and back up the East Coast again to New York. Finally, the green leg takes him West across the Northernmost reaches of the United States, from Washington State up into Canada, and finally ending with the parks in Alaska.

Ben is beginning this adventure on August 24, 2013, and he is expecting that it will take him a year or two to complete. He will be blogging when he has internet access, and you can track his progress, and find out more about his reasons behind this journey, at his website: www.59parks.com.